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Tucson Mom Heads to Iraq
Arizona Daily Star ^ | Nov 29, 2003 | Dan Purvis

Posted on 12/01/2003 8:21:48 AM PST by maica

------------------------------------------------------------------------  Saturday, 29 November 2003

Tucson mom heads to Iraq

Anabelle Valencia, whose son, Chuveny, and daughter, Giselle, are serving in Iraq, will join nine others who have come to oppose the U.S. presence there.

Group taking friendship, doubts By Bob Purvis ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Tucson parents Anabelle and Jesús Valencia sat next to each other in the living room of their South Side home Friday afternoon, quietly sifting through the cards and letters sent to them by a son and daughter stationed in Iraq.

Until now the Valencias have depended on the letters - along with increasingly grim media reports - to learn about the war being fought by their children.

But on Sunday, Anabelle Valencia expects to arrive in Baghdad.

Valencia will join others around the country who will leave their hometowns today, forming a small delegation with other relatives of servicemen to bring a message of friendship for the people of Baghdad. They also will bring doubts about the United States' involvement in Iraq and the Bush administration's handling of the war.

The group of 10 includes two wives of soldiers based at Fort Bragg, N.C., and four veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf wars, two of whom have children deployed in Iraq. Many sought donations to pay for the trip, and though no special government permission was needed, 25 members of Congress wrote letters of support.

"I want to go to see my kids," Anabelle Valencia said, crying softly and wearing a small stars and stripes lapel ribbon to show her support for the U.S. troops.

Valencia, a bilingual teaching assistant at Sunnyside High School, says while the trip has her too worried to sleep at night, she is excited for the chance to spread a message of peace from the United States to the Iraqi people.

"I want to talk with them and tell them that we here in the U.S. are their brothers," she said. "We do not want any more blood to be spilled."

Her journey begins at 1 p.m. today when she departs for Amsterdam to met with the rest of the delegation. They will board another plane to Jordan, before setting out on a dangerous, 12-hour drive to Baghdad, hoping to avoid detection by opposition forces by traveling in the dark.

Jesús Valencia will not accompany his wife to Iraq, where their children say they've had close calls during the war.

Their son, Sgt. Chuveny Valencia, 22, a paratrooper with the Army's 82nd Airborne, narrowly missed an explosion triggered by a land mine on the outskirts of Baghdad. Their daughter, Pvt. Giselle E. Valencia, 24, a U.S. Army Fourth Infantry Division truck driver in Tikrit, called home recently, telling her mom that she'd come under fire.

Both have asked their mother not to take the trip because they worry for her safety. Chuveny Valencia repeated his effort during a recent visit before heading back to Baghdad last week.

"He tried to convince me not to go. He said, 'I don't want you to look for me in Iraq.' Now that I have seen him, I will respect that," Anabelle Valencia said.

Her son's plea, however, has not weakened Valencia's desire to find her daughter, whom she has not seen in more than three years.

"I want to see how Baghdad is. How the people live, how they dress, how they talk," Valencia said. "I want to see American soldiers, to talk with their commanders and to see my daughter."

Valencia will pay half the travel expenses, about $1,000, for her five-day trip to Iraq. The rest of the trip will be paid for by a San Francisco-based human rights group, Global Exchange.

< snip >

(Excerpt) Read more at azstarnet.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Arizona; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: globalexchange; medeabenjamin; militaryfamilies; usefulidiots
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To: maica
"They told us my children would be gone six months, but they lied to us."

I doubt that any soldiers deployment papers said you'll be home in 6 months, most leave it open subject to change
21 posted on 12/01/2003 8:49:58 AM PST by boxerblues (If you can read this.. Thank a Teacher..If you can read this in English ..Thank a US Soldier)
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To: maica
OOPS This is not the correct address [ bpurvis@azstar.net ]

Correct contact : bpurvis@azstarnet.com
22 posted on 12/01/2003 8:54:28 AM PST by maica (Leadership matters)
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To: Falcon4.0
Seriously. The article implies that the son is just worried about her safety. I would say he's worried about more than that. "MOTHer...please!! You're embarrassing me!!"
23 posted on 12/01/2003 8:54:34 AM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet ("Does this holster make me look fat?" - Conspiracy Guy)
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To: maica
The usual suspects-no suprises on that list.
24 posted on 12/01/2003 8:56:10 AM PST by F.J. Mitchell (liberal democrats are soooooo predictable.)
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To: Gamecock
That girl in Israel's name escapes me. Her actions I will never forget.
25 posted on 12/01/2003 9:01:57 AM PST by maica (Leadership matters)
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To: riri
Exactly. If she really wants to help out, stay home. By all accounts a civil war will break out if the US pulls out of Iraq. She says, "We do not want any more blood to be spilled." A whole lot more will be spilled if the US military leaves. But what's logic got to do with it?
26 posted on 12/01/2003 9:02:01 AM PST by Sabatier
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To: maica
If Global Exchange gets my soldier killed trying to save these useful idiots I plan to file a lawsuite. As a matter of fact it may not be a bad idea for parents to file a class action suite due to them placing our troops in danger by their insane behavior.
27 posted on 12/01/2003 9:06:56 AM PST by armymarinemom (I Rocked the Cradle of Death from Above)
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To: maica
Valencia, a bilingual teaching assistant at Sunnyside High School,...

Why does this not surprise me?

28 posted on 12/01/2003 9:11:52 AM PST by CedarDave (Insted of using the new spel checkr, I'll just tpye as usal.)
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To: maica
Could you please get the Moderater to change "Tuscon" to the correct spelling of TUCSON. Thanks
tbird1
29 posted on 12/01/2003 9:12:32 AM PST by tbird1
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To: VRWC_minion
I was going to ask what the odds are that she'll come back converted.
30 posted on 12/01/2003 9:13:08 AM PST by squidly
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To: maica
They will board another plane to Jordan, before setting out on a dangerous, 12-hour drive to Baghdad, hoping to avoid detection by opposition forces by traveling in the dark.

Darwin Award candidates.

31 posted on 12/01/2003 9:21:23 AM PST by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
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To: maica
Rachel Corrie
32 posted on 12/01/2003 9:25:20 AM PST by MediaMole
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To: Travis McGee
"Darwin Award candidates."

Ab so lute ly!!
33 posted on 12/01/2003 9:26:23 AM PST by international american
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To: maica
Maybe it will take American civilian blood to be spilled before meddling do-gooders learn not to get involved in our military operations. I really hope that these people do not expect our troops to provide their security.
34 posted on 12/01/2003 10:44:43 AM PST by LoudRepublicangirl (loudrepublicangirl)
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To: LoudRepublicangirl
What did happen to all those "human shields" who wanted to "protect" Iraqis from the mean ol' American military forces? They should be over there now standing in fromt of the police stations, and along the pipelines, etc.
35 posted on 12/01/2003 3:39:15 PM PST by maica (Leadership matters)
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To: tbird1
Thanks for the spellcheck. I have asked the moderator to change it.
36 posted on 12/01/2003 3:45:09 PM PST by maica (Leadership matters)
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To: maica
Overbearing mothers and fathers with nothing better to do than nose around in their adult children's lives.

Leave them soldiers alone!

37 posted on 12/03/2003 3:36:51 PM PST by eleni121
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